Casing installing machine



July 26, 1960 R; K. PEPPER 2,946,557

CASING INSTALLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ROBERT K. PEPPER BY QLLMM July 26, 1960 R. K. PEPPER CASING INSTALLINGMACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT K. PEPPERBY K-mmm July 26, 1960 R. K. PEPPER CASING INSTALLING MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 11, 1958 INVENTOR.

ROBERT K. PEPPER mm mm United States Fascist -Patentecl July 26, 1960CASING INSTALLING MACHINE Robert K. Pepper, 216 E. Florence Ave.,Syracuse, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 754,341

7 Claims. (Cl. 255-20) This invention relates generally to apparatus fordriving tubes or casings through the ground, and has special referenceto an improved machine for installing long metal casings under highways,railways and the like where open trenches are not permitted.

The applicant is aware of the fact that various types of earth boring ordrilling machines have been developed heretofore for the above mentionedpurpose, but most of these machines have not met with anything butlimited acceptance because of undue complexity and cumbersomeness andalso because of the expense of manufacturing and operating them. Of themachines that have been used more extensively, practically all have oneor more objectionable features, as for example, the inability to copewith large rocks or boulders that may be encountered, the use of waterjets to flush out the loosened material, or the use of projectingdrilling or cutting heads which tend to create pockets or voids in thesurrounding material thereby causing settling of the overhead structureand which also prevent the entrance of large stones, etc. into thecasing.

The present invention, therefore, contemplates and has as its broadobjective the provision of a casing installing machine which has acomparatively simple construction and at the same time has none of theobjectionable features noted above. This machine is specificallydesigned for the purpose of laying or installing a metal casing for useas a culvert or as a sewer, water or gas line under any structure orthrough any embankment where an open trench would be impractical orimpossible.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a casinginstalling machine which is a self-contained complete unit that can bequickly put into operation at the job site.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a casinginstalling machine which is simple to operate and wherein the rate ofadvance of the casing into the embankment can be carefully controlled bya positive, powerful manually controlled drive unit.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a machine ofthe character described which is capable of installing casings of longlengths and of varying diameters.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine of thecharacter described which insures substantially straight penetration ofthe casing, provision being made for rear guiding of unusually longcasings when necessary.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide amachine of the character described wherein provision is made forsupplemental rotational driving power in installations involvingpenetration into very hard packed or dense material.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a casinginstalling machine wherein the casing itself is rotationally driven anda cutting head capable of cutting through large stones is secureddirectly to the forward or embankment entering end of the casing.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a casinginstalling machine wherein both the forward and rear ends of the casingare relatively unobstructed to enable the passage of large stones androcks therethrough and also to allow the full length of the rotatingcasing to be observed by means of a flood light for the guidance oflarge rocks, portions of stumps, etc.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a casinginstalling machine having a free floating worm of substantially smallerdiameter than that of the casing for removing the embankment materialthat has been out or loosened by the cutting head. 'This worm assemblycan easily be withdrawn from the casing'to allow a man to crawl into itand drill or blast boulders or the like that are too large to passthrough the casing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description thereof read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a representative embodiment ofthe invention for the purpose of disclosure.

In the drawings: Y

Figure 1 is a side perspective View of a casing installing machineembodying the invention with parts being broken away to show detailsthereof;

Figure 2 is a side perspective view corresponding to Figure 1 showing aslightly modified arrangement of the machine; 1

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the reciprocably movable frame of themachine;

Figure 4 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 3, with some partsomitted, showing the manner in which the machine may be adapted for theinstallation of casings of varying diameters;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the reciprocably movable frame;

Figure 6 is a detailed side elevation, partly in section, showing thetrack engaging rollers and propelling means for the frame;

Figure 7 is a substantially horizontal section through the structureshown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detailed perspective view showing the mannerin whichsections of the worm are connected together; and

Figure 9 is a detailed perspective view of a cutting head havingremovable teeth.

Having reference now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbersdesignate the same part in each of the views, 10 indicates a cylindricalmetal casing that is to be installed in or passed through an embankmentindicated at 11 in Figure 1. In the drawings, the casingis positionedfor substantially horizontal penetration into the embankment, but themachine to be described is not limited to horizontal operation since itcan also be utilized in making upgrade or downgrade installations. Inaccordance with the invention, a cutting head 12 is telescopicallypositioned on the forward or embankment entering end of the casing andis releasably secured thereto as by bolts or the like. The cutting headmay be formed with integral ground teeth as'shown in Figures 1 and 2, orit may be provided at its leading edge with a plurality of replaceablehardened steel teeth 14 as shown in Figure 9.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, the casing10 is supported by single cylindrical sleeve or barrel 15 whichencircles the casing and is provided rollers 20, Figure 3, the idlerrollers being carried by' cross plates 21 secured to the ends of theframe. 7 Sleeve 15 and the casing secured thereto are adapted to berotationally driven by means of a power unit 22, preferably a gasolineengine, which is detachably secured to the top of frame 13. To this end,the sleeve is provided with an external ring sprocket 24 located midwaybetween its ends, and this sprocket is connected by means of a chain 25to a gear reduction unit 27 which is connected by a second chain 28 tothe engine output shaft.

The support frame it; is mounted for reciprocable movement on a trackcomprising a pair of l-beams 30 secured together in spaced, parallelrelation by end members 31, and is guided during such movement by aplurality of depending guide brackets 32 which extend under the outerflanges of the beams as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The track may rest onsuitable ties 33 and is positioned so that it extends towards theembankment in the direction in which it is intended to have the casingpenetrate. Each side of the frame 18 is equipped with a pair of trackengaging rollers 34, the shafts for the rollers on each side beingjournalled in a pair of parallel plates 35 extending between the cornerangle bars 37 of the frame at the bottom thereof, see Figure 7.

Frame 18 can be propelled in either direction along the track by meansof a hand wheel 38 which is located on the upper rear side of the frameas shown in Figure 5. This wheel is mounted on the end of a horizontalshaft 40 that operates through a gear box 41 to turn a vertical shaft42, and the latter operates through a second gear box 44 to turn ahorizontal shaft 45 which extends transversely across the bottom of theframe. Shaft 45 is also journalled in the parallel plates 35 on eachside of the frame, and a spur wheel 47 is keyed thereto between eachpair of plates. The teeth or lugs on the spur wheels mesh with rows ofholes 48 formed in the end flanges of the track I-bcams whereby rotationof the spur wheels by means of the hand wheel 38 operates to drive theframe along the track.

To prevent dirt, gravel or other adventitious matter from interferingwith the frame rollers 34 and spur wheels 47, a removable cover plate(not shown) is positioned over each of the pairs of parallel side plates35 when the machine is in operation to form a protective enclosure forthese parts. Mounted in parallel relation to the hand wheel shaft 40 ontop of the frame i8 is an alternate hand wheel shaft 50, Figure 3,carrying a small sprocket 51 which is connected by a chain 52 to alarger sprocket 53 on the shaft 40. By transferring the hand wheel 38 tothe alternate shaft 50 this drive becomes a speed reduction device, andit simply idles when the hand wheel is mounted on shaft 4%) for a directdrive as shown in the drawings.

From the description thus far it will be seen that when the casing isrotated by the power unit 22, and the frame 18 is moved towards theembankment by its manually operated-drive, the cutting head 12 will cutinto the embankment with much the same action as a milling cutter. Themanual control of the rate of advance is advantageous in this connectionbecause it enables a trained operator to adjust and vary the rate inaccordance with the type of material encountered. Thus, the material ofthe embankment might be hard packed or loose, wet or dry, dirt orgravel, etc., and the operator learns to judge these varying conditionsby feel and adjust the rate of advance accordingly.

In order to remove the embankment material that is cut loose by thecutting head, the machine is provided with a rotatable worm 55 which ispositioned in the bottom of the casing 16 as shown in Figure l, the wormhaving over-all diameter that is substantially less than the innerdiameter of the This worm does no cutting or drilling and cannot do sobecause its forward end 57 terminates at a point spaced inwardly orrearwardly of the forward end of the casing. The rear end of the wormprojects outwardly beyond the rear end of the casing where it isconnected by a universal coupling 58 to an independent power unit unit60 that drives the worm.

The power unit, which is preferably a gasoline engine, is supported insuspended relation rearwardly of the casing by means of a pipe or rod 61one end of which is received in the sleeve 62 of a bracket and sleevearrangement on the engine and the other end of which is received in thesleeve 64 of a saddle unit 65. The saddle unit rides on the rear end ofthe casing by means of rollers 67 and is held in position thereon by asecond pipe 68 which extends from the sleeve 64 to a sleeve 70 on thesupport frame 18.

The spacing of the forward end of the worm inwardly from the forward endof the casing is important since the worm should be able to keep thecasing relatively clear of loose material but should not allow thematerial to pour freely into the forward end of the casing whereexcessive weight could cause downward bending. This optimum condition isapproximated when the loose material entering the casing has about a 1to 1 or slope, as indicated at 71 in Figure l, and the end of the wormterminates just inside the lower portion of the slope. When such is thecase, the loose material at the end of the casing acts as a naturalbulkhead which prevents the free flow of material into the casing aswould happen if the worm extended to the end of the casing or beyond andthe embankment material were at all loose. Allowing an excessive amountof loose material to pour into the casing is, of course, undesirablesince this tends to create voids or pockets in the surroundingembankment which could cause a road on the top of the embankment tosettle. With the worm terminating as above described, however, thenatural bulkhead is formed and the worm carries away the loose materialat a rate which allows this bulkhead to be maintained with the desiredslope as the casing is advanced.

The diameter of the worm in relation to the inner diameter of the casingis also very important in the opera tion of the machine. Thus, unlikeother machines wherein the worm fills the interior of the casing ordriven memher, the worm in the illustrated embodiment of the inventionhas a diameter which is a little less than half the inner diameter ofthe casing. This allows relatively large rocks or boulders to beconveyed out of the casing as is indicated at 72 in Figure 1, and it hasbeen found that a worm of this size is more than adequate for removingthe finer loose material at the desired rate. In addition, the smalldiameter of the worm and the flexible drive coupling at its rear endallow the worm to be both laterally and upwardly displaced within thecasing so that it is in effect free floating therein. With thisarrangement, the possibility of a rock becoming wedged between the wormand casing is very remote.

The machine is prepared for operation by placing a. section of casing inthe sleeve 15 and sliding it forward until its forward end abuts againstthe embankment. The frame 18 and sleeve are then moved rearwardlyrelative to the sleeve to a position towards the rear end thereof atwhich time the set screws 17 are tightened to connect the sleeve andeasing together. A section of worm of the right length and diameter forthe casing is then positioned therein and the worm drive is connected tothe rear end of the worm and to the frame. In a relatively short sectionof easing, when the frame is initially positioned close to its rear end,the saddle unit may be omitted as shown at the left side of thearrangernent disclosed in Figure 2. However, if the casing section islong, the frame and sleeve may initially be connected near the middle ofthe section in which case a saddle unit would be employed for addedsupport as indicated in Figure 1.

Having connected the casing and frame as above described, the rotationaldrive unit 22 is started and the frame is moved forward on the track byits manually operated drive means thereby causing the casing to cut intothe embankment. At the same time, the worm t 7 a drive is actuated toeffect the removal of the loose material cut from the embankment asabove described. When the frame reaches the forward end of the track allof the drive means are stopped and the worm drive is disconnected fromthe frame and the worm itself, and the set screws 17 connecting thesleeve and easing are loosened.

The frame is then moved rearwardly on the track. to a position close tothe rear end of the casing, if it had previously been connected near itsmidpoint, or, a new section can be added on as by welding and the framecan be moved rearwardly to a pointon the new section. In either case,the set screws are again tightened down on the casing, and the wormdrive is re-connectedusing whatever length of pipe 61, or lengths ofpipes 61 and 68 with a saddle unit, that may be necessary to properlylocate the drive relative to the rear end of the worm. Thereafter, thevarious drives are again put into operation to advance the casingfurther into the embankment. Whenever a new section of casing is added,a new section of the worm will also be added, the sections being joinedas by a common plug 74, Figure 8, which may be telescopically receivedin and bolted to each section.

The above described procedure is continued until the casing has beendriven all of the way through the embankment, at which time the cuttinghead is removed from the forward end and the rest of the machine removedfrom the rear end.

Since the casings to be installed will vary in diameter from job to job,the installing machine is equipped with sleeves of, various sizes toaccommodate the different standard sizes of casing. In order-to properlyguide the different sleeves during rotation, the upper roller supportingcross plates 21 can be raised or lowered as indicated in Figure 4, therebeing a series of bolt holes 75 in each corner bar 37 of the frame toenable proper positioning of the guide rollers for each sleeve size.

Figure 2 illustrates a slightly modified arrangement of the machinewhich is sometimes employed for installing unusually long sections ofcasing. In this arrangement, two of the reciprocably movable frames areutilized, with the rear frame 18' serving as an alignment guide and as asupport for the worm drive 60. Normally, only 'the forward frame 18 willbe equipped with a power unit 22 to rotate the casing, and the rearsleeve which is also connected to the casing by its set screws, willsimply turn with the casing and keep the rear end thereof in alignment.However, if very hard packed embankment material is encountered androtation of the long casing becomes diflicult, a second power unit (notshown) can be easily lowered onto the rear frame and put into operationto provide more power for the rotational drive.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the inventiondescribed herein provides a novel and highly practical casing installingmachine which eliminates most of the disadvantages of the prior machinesof the same type. As will be apparent to those familiar with the art,the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodimentsdisclosed are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for the underground installation of a cylindricalcasing, an unobstructed cylindrical cutting head adapted to be removablyattached to the forward, ground entering end of said casing, supportmeans for the casing releasably secured thereto rearwardly of itsforward end, a first power operated means to rotate said support meansand the casing secured thereto, manually operated means to move saidsupport means to advance the easing into the embankment, a free floatingWorm adapted to lie on the bottom of the casing, the over-all diameterofsaid worm being substantially less than the inner'diameter of thecasing, the forward end of said worm terminating rearwardly of theforward end of the casing, a second power operated means connected tosaid casing support means and adapted to drive said worm, and a flexiblecoupling connecting said drive means with the rear end of said worm topermit lateral or upward displacement of the worm within the casingwhile it is being driven. I

2. A' machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said. support meanscomprises a cylindrical sleeve rotatably mounted in a reciprocablymovable support frame.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said support means comprisesa pair of cylindrical sleeves secured to the casing in spaced relationto one another, each of said sleeves being rotatably mounted in areciprocably movably support frame.

. 4. A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein one of said cylindricalsleeves is adapted to support the rear end of the casing.

5. In a machine for installing a cylindrical casing in an embankment,the combination of a cylindrical unobstructed cutting head adapted to bereleasably attached to the forward, embankment entering end of thecasing, a track extending towards the embankment in the direction thatthe casing is intended to pass therethrough, at least one support forthe casing including a frame mounted for reciprocable movement on saidtrack and a cylindrical sleeve rotatably mounted in said frame, saidsleeve being adapted to be releasably secured to the casing rearwardlyof the forward end thereof, power .operated means mounted on said frameto rotate said sleeve and the casing therewith, means to move said frametowards said embankment to cause penetration of the forward end of thecasing therein, a free floating worm adapted to be positioned in thebottom of the casing with its forward end terminating at a point spacedinwardly from the forward end of the casing, the overall diameter ofsaid worm being substantially less than the inner diameter of thecasing, independent power operated means connected to said movable frameand adapted to drive said worm, and a flexible coupling connecting saiddrive means with the rear end of the worm to permit lateral and upwarddisplacement of the worm while it is being driven within the casing.

6. In a machine for installing an elongated cylindrical casing in anembankment, the combination of a cylindrical cutting head adapted to bereleasably attached to the forward, embankment entering end of thecasing, said cutting head having a plurality of replaceable cuttingteeth about the periphery of the leading edge thereof, a track extendingtowards the embankment in substantially the direction that the casing isintended to pass therethrough, supporting means for the casing includinga pair of frames mounted for reciprocable movement on said track and acylindrical sleeve rotatably mounted in each of said frames, saidsleeves being adapted to encircle the casing and having means toreleasably secure the casing thereto, one !of said sleeves being adaptedto engage the casing rearwardly of the forward end thereof and the othersleeve being adapted to engage the casing adjacent the rear end thereof,power operated means mounted on at least one of said frames to rotateits sleeve and the casing therewith, manually operated means to movesaid frames on said track towards the embankment, a free floating wonnadapted to be positioned in the bottom of the casing with its forwardend terminating at a point spaced inwardly from the forward end of thecasing and its rear end projecting outwardly beyond the rear end of thecasing, the over-all diameter of said worm being less than one-half theinner diameter of the casing, independent power operated means supportedby said rearwardly'located support frame and adapted to drive said worm,and a universal coupling conecting said drive means with the outwardlyprojecting rear end of said worm to permit lateral and upwarddisplacement of the worm while it is being driven within the casing.

7. In a machine for installing a cylindrical casing in an embankment, anunobstructed cylindrical cutting head adapted to be removably attachedto the peripheral edge of the forward, embankment entering end of thecasing whereby said forward end is completely unobstructed, a trackextending towards the embankment in the direction that the casing isintended to pass therethrough, a support for the casing including aframe mounted for reciprocable movement on said track and a cylindricalsleeve rotatably mounted in said frame, said sleeve being adapted toencircle said casing intermediate the ends thereof and having means toreleasably secure the casing thereto, power operated means mounted onsaid frame to rotate said sleeve and the casing therewith, means toadvance said support on said track towards the embankment, a freefloating worm positioned adjacent to the bottom of the casing, theover-all diameter of said Worm being substantially less than the innerdiameter of the casing, the forward end of said worm terminatingrearwardly of the forward end of the casing, and independent poweroperated means to drive said worm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,699,936 Watchom Jan. 22, 1929 1,835,191 Tilly Dec. 8. 1931 1,881,101Spaulding Oct. 4, 1932 2,136,151 Parrish Nov. 8, 1938 2,136,152 ParrishNov. 8, 1938 2,165,666 Tilly July 11, 1939 2,211,223 Woods Aug. 13, 19402,326,908 Williams Aug. 17, 1943 2,625,375 Hall Jan. 13, 1953 2,633,334l/avender Mar. 31, 1953 2,798,707 Kandle July 9, 1957

